Our Amanda is an ‘inspiration’ after boxing at the highest level

A LEADING light in the world of boxing is hoping to land another title - in the Hartlepool Mail sports awards.

Amanda Coulson, from Hartlepool, has been one of Great Britain’s greatest ever female boxers.

Now, she is bidding to add to her impressive array of achievements after being nominated for the Inspire category in our awards.

And even though Amanda has now retired from competition to concentrate on coaching, she is still held in the highest of regard.

Her nomination read: “She remains a role model now after her retirement”.

After starting boxing at Hartlepool Catholic Club, she soon became one of Britain’s best.

She won four ABA national titles, three European Union Championship silver medals and represented her country at two World Championships.

In November 2011 she became the GB champion, in a final shown live on BBC TV, beating lightweight rival Chantelle Cameron.

She retired from the ring in 2012 after missing out on selection for the London 2012 Olympics.

But Amanda has not retired from boxing or from sport. She coaches at the Catholic Club and is a member of the Great Britain coaching set-up in Sheffield, coaching the next wave of female talent.

Amanda is also a Sky Sports Living for Sport athlete mentor which involves visiting clubs, schools, colleges where she delivers training and talks. She is also a mentor for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

Her nomination added: “She inspired a generation of female boxers in her career and now continues to inspire young people, girls and boys, in her current roles”.

This is only the second year that we have run our sports awards and our inaugural event was a winner. But we want to make the 2014 version even bigger and better.

From the best in disabled sportspeople to grass roots performers, from coaches to teams – we want to honour them all.

The competition closes for entries this Friday. Then it’s over to the judges to draw up a shortlist before the glittering ﬁnale in October.

That means there’s plenty of time for you to come forward with your favourities.

l Fill in the application form in today’s paper or go online and fill in the form at www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk, and go to the sports section.